POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (September 4, 2015) – The Vassar women's soccer team will play its first home game of the season this Saturday, September 5 against New York University. Kickoff at Gordon Field is slated for 1:00 pm.

Game Details
Opponent: vs. NYU (1-0)
Links: (NYU Soccer Home Page) (Roster) (Stats) (Schedule)
Site: Poughkeepsie, NY
Facility:  Gordon Field
Date: September 5, 2015
Time:  1:00 p.m.
Game Coverage: (Live Stats)
 
Last Time Out: Senior Melissa Guillemette scored the game's only goal in the 71st minute, as Mount Saint Mary College (NY) bested Vassar 1-0 in the squad's season opener on September 2.
 
A Look at the Violets: NYU enters Saturday's contest 1-0 on the season, picking up a 3-0 victory over Johnson & Wales on September 1. NYU is coming off an 11-6-2 finish in 2014 and 3-2-2 mark in the highly competitive University Athletic Association Conference. The Violets advanced to the first round of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2002, falling to Amherst 2-0 on November 15. Head coach Michele Canning is in her fifth season with the team holding a 42-27-6 record.
 
Team captain Melissa Menta returns for her final campaign with the Violets. Last fall, the senior forward finished second on the team in points, goals, assists, and game-winning goals. She earned Second Team All-UAA honors and was named ECAC Metro First Team All-Star. Junior goalkeeper Cassie Steinberg returns after a season in which she was named Honorable Mention All-UAA while compiling eight shutouts during the season.
 
Against NYU All-Time: Vassar is 3-6-1 all-time against the Violets, but has won three out of the past four meetings. Vassar picked up a 1-0 win over NYU last season on the road on September 13, and the Violets didn't drop another game until October 19.            
 
In the Record Books: Senior goalkeeper Emma Nichols (Lexington, MA/Lexington) enters the season inside the top-10 all-time in several statistical categories. Nichols began 2015 ranked first in career goals against average (minimum 1500 minutes) with a mark of 0.63 in 29 career games. She is also second in save percentage (.895), seventh in shutouts (6), seventh in wins (12) and ninth in total saves (119). A handful of other Brewers will see opportunities to crack into all-time lists as the season progresses. 
 
Defending Gordon: Vassar was fantastic on the natural grass surface of Gordon Field last season, finishing undefeated at home with a 6-0-2 record. The Brewers allowed just one goal at Gordon, while scoring 14 over the course of eight games. 
 
Season Debuts: 17 different players saw the field for Vassar in the season opener on Wednesday, including seven freshmen making their collegiate debuts.
 
Captain: Senior Lucy Brainerd (Littleton, CO/Heritage) will serve as the squad's team captain for the 2015 campaign.
  
Geography Lesson: Vassar's 2015 roster features student athletes from 13 different states and the District of Columbia. The most populous is California, with seven players hailing from the Golden State, while Massachusetts is second with four Brewers.

On to the Next One: Vassar will be back in action on Tuesday, September 8 to play Western Connecticut State on the road in Danbury, CT at 7:00 pm.